Master of Death
by kittykat91x
Summary: Harry Potter is the Master of Death. This means he cannot die, as far as he is aware. Lucius Malfoy has decided to test that theory. Repeatedly. Sequel to I Won't Let You Fail


_**Chapter 1: Breakfast**_

Harry woke up warm and comfortable. The bed he was in was soft and huge. The best part by far, however, was the person currently using his chest as a pillow.

After a long, hard year, Harry finally defeated the self-proclaimed Dark Lord, Tom Riddle. After the battle, he had shared a very passionate kiss with someone most would never have suspected.

First, the person was male. Being Harry Potter, secrets are near impossible to keep. But only those closest to him had known Harry was bisexual. But then, you have to add the fact that technically the person he kissed was a Death Eater.

He wasn't a very good Death Eater. Not only had the Mark been forced upon him, but he also couldn't do what it took to be a Death Eater. He couldn't kill or torture, almost to save his own life. It's a good thing he had help, otherwise he wouldn't have lived past sixteen.

But the biggest reason it was shocking was the fact that the person was none other than Draco Malfoy.

It all started with an anonymous letter, right after Easter. The letter had had invaluable information that led to the destruction of the Horcruxes Voldemort had made. And though the letter was signed "a friend," Harry and Hermione had known immediately that it was from Draco.

Harry had replied, and from there a secret correspondence had begun between the two from the month after Easter until what is now known as the Battle of Hogwarts.

It had finally ended with Harry sending a memory of himself confessing his feelings for Draco...among other things. Draco helped save Fred Weasley's life, helped save Severus Snape's life, and promised Harry he wouldn't let him fail in his mission to destroy the Dark Lord just before Harry had run off into the Forbidden Forest and was murdered.

Yes, Harry literally died to save the wizarding world. They were mostly grateful for it, too, so he wasn't too put out over the fact that a seventeen year old, muggle-raised half blood had to die and come back to life in order to save everyone.

Back to Draco. After a passionate kiss in the middle of the battlefield, it was rather impossible to avoid the _Prophet_ getting ahold of the story.

Harry had taken Draco aside and they talked long into the night. They discussed their pasts and the choices they had made. They then discussed their futures.

Harry knew he wanted to be with Draco. It wasn't only teenage lust and the stress of his life. Draco was witty, caring and determined. He was cunning and ambitious, and all the other good parts of Slytherin house. He insisted he had changed his views on blood supremacy and that he could prove it to Harry.

In the month since the battle, that had proven to be true. Draco had immediately gone up to Hermione and formally apologized, with all that entailed for a pure blood. She accepted and the two began a tentative friendship. They had a lot in common, and once Draco had pushed past his issues with her blood status, they realized they had no shortage of things to talk about.

Draco had apologized to everyone else as well, and now even Ron was more than just tolerating the blond for Harry's sake. Watching the two of them go head-to-head at wizard's chess was a sight to behold.

There had been a discussion about where to go after the battle and Harry had realized he couldn't go back to Grimmauld yet. It held too many memories, some good, others not. Draco offered him a wing of Malfoy Manor, without consulting his parents, but Harry wasn't quite comfortable with that. Turns out neither were Lucius and Narcissa.

Instead, Harry bunked with Ron until the twins moved back to their flat a week after the battle. Bill, Fleur, Percy and Charlie had also come home for a week. Molly had wanted the whole family together. After the immense stress of the last few years, Harry didn't blame her. In fact, he was grateful to have everyone he loved so close. It was nice to spend time and bask in the fact that they were safe now.

Even though he lived at the Burrow, Harry did sometimes spend the night elsewhere. Which is how he came to be in such a large and comfortable bed, being used as a pillow.

Harry looked down to see the early morning sunlight highlight Draco's platinum blond hair. The sun made Draco's skin appear alabaster, especially against Harry's own summer tan.

Harry ran a hand through Draco's hair and he shifted a bit, a smile coming onto his face. He was still asleep, and would be for a while if Harry didn't wake him.

Harry debated doing just that. He was hungry, but Lucius and Narcissa were on house arrest and thus were guaranteed to be home. Narcissa was fine with Harry and his relationship with her son. She had been fine with it almost since the beginning. It was as if she had suspected it long before they told her about it.

Lucius was a whole other story. He still hated Harry. Not dislike, or anything less severe. He didn't try to hide that he hated Harry. In fact, he was quite open about it. The feeling was mostly mutual - the man had tried to murder Harry many times since Harry was twelve, he felt entitled to a bit of dislike - but Harry was trying for Draco and Narcissa's sakes. Lucius was not.

It was getting to the point that Harry was, for the most part, exasperated at the senior Malfoy's childishness. Harry's natural snarky and cheeky demeanor was coming through more and more as he was becoming comfortable at the Manor.

Draco thought it was hilarious whenever Harry would snark at Lucius. Narcissa tried her best to hide her mirth, but even Severus had laughed when Harry had turned Lucius' hair pink last week. Harry had damn near fainted from shock at hearing the man laugh, but that's another story altogether.

Harry was still debating whether it was worth it to risk Lucius without Draco as a buffer when his stomach gurgled and his bladder became painful. He decided he would be fine and carefully extracted himself from his octopus of a boyfriend.

He made his way into Draco's massive en suite and took care of his morning ablutions. He forewent a shower and donned a pair of pajama pants and a bathrobe. Then he slipped out of the room, checking that Draco was still asleep as he passed by.

He padded down the marble stairs and through the halls into the breakfast room. He happily inhaled the scent of tea and bacon. He loved house elves. He made his way to the table and gave Narcissa a kiss on the cheek before he sat down.

The table only had four chairs, so he was far closer to Lucius than he wanted to be. But he ignored the man and set about making his tea. He noticed there was a separate sugar container and, while suspicious, made his tea anyway.

His suspicions were proved correct with his first sip of the hot liquid and he spat it out immediately. He didn't even feel guilty for spitting tea into Lucius' stupid face.

"Oh my!" Narcissa exclaimed, her hand flying to her chest in alarm.

Harry glared at the Malfoy Lord.

"What the fuck Lucius?" Harry demanded with an exasperated sigh.

"Language," Lucius sneered.

"I think I can cuss out the man who just tried to poison me. Again," Harry stated, deadpan.

"Lucius!" Narcissa said, offended. "You cannot keep trying to kill Harry!"

Lucius merely sniffed and continued to clean his face.

"Lucius. What part of 'Master of Death' do you not understand?" Harry asked and rolled his eyes.

Lucius continued to ignore him and instead went back to his breakfast. Harry sighed and vanished his tea as well as the sugar bowl in front of him. He was glad Narcissa hadn't used that one.

"Dobby," Harry called. He chose Dobby instead of Kreacher or one of the Malfoy elves because he knew it would piss Lucius off.

"What can Dobby bes doing for the great Master Harry Potter, sir?" Dobby enquired when he appeared. Harry was well aware that Dobby only addressed him like that when in the presence of Lucius. He had considerably toned down his hero-worship. But he knew it irked the eldest Malfoy and Dobby disliked the man as much as, if not more than, Harry himself.

As if on cue, Lucius twitched. Harry smirked.

"Can you make sure none of my food and drink have been tampered with, please Dobby?" Harry asked.

"Certainly Master Harry Potter, sir."

The elf snapped his fingers and half of the food on Harry's side of the table vanished. Harry glared at Lucius for a second and proceeded to fill his plate from what was left.

"Cans Dobby bes doing anything else for the great Master Harry Potter, sir?"

"No, thank you Dobby." Harry replied and the elf disappeared.

"Honestly, Luc. You must stop this. Think of what you're doing. If Harry wanted to, he could have you in Azkaban for attempted murder!" Narcissa said. She was always the voice of reason between the two wherever Harry was concerned.

And it was true that Harry could have Lucius locked up with nary a thought. Not only was Lucius actually trying to murder Harry, but also Harry was still Harry. He was more than just the Boy-Who-Lived now. He was the Savior. He had rid the world of Voldemort, once and for all. The Ministry loved him, especially since King became minister.

Harry sighed. This was about the fifth time Lucius had tried to kill him in some way. The go to method seemed to be poisoning, for which Harry was grateful. A trip down the stairs may not be deadly anymore, but it still hurt like hell. And he still needed to heal from wounds such as those caused by falling several stories to the ground. Lucius was becoming a pain in the ass.

Harry wasn't sure how to deal with it. Yes, Lucius was trying to kill him. The only reason he was unsuccessful was because Harry had kept the Elder Wand and Resurrection Stone. It was a given that Harry had never intended to get rid of the Cloak of Invisibility. Having kept all three, Harry was now the Master of Death.

Harry had yet to discover all that entailed, but he did know it made him immune to death. At least thus far it had. He wasn't too worried about Lucius' repeated murder attempts. He actually thought it was just Lucius taking his time to warm to the idea of Harry dating his son.

Harry figured as long as he was unable to be killed, he would ignore Lucius's repeated attempts on his life. So long as Lucius focused on Harry alone and kept it to less painful methods, Harry decided he could deal with it on his own without involving the ministry.

Harry finished his breakfast in silence and went back to Draco's room. He refused to even acknowledge Lucius, but he did pause to brush a kiss on Narcissa's cheek as he passed. She did her best to control her husband, Harry knew.

_**Chapter 2: Draco's Birthday**_

Harry was nervous. He had never had a significant other during any major holiday or birthday before. He was okay at buying gifts for his friends and pseudo family, but Draco was something else altogether.

What did one buy for their rich boyfriend? They'd known each other for seven year, but most of that time was spent spewing vitriol and hate. Harry had never even considered Draco's birthday before now. He hadn't even known it until Narcissa mentioned it two weeks ago.

After a few conversations with Hermione, Harry finally decided on what to get Draco. It was simple, but Harry was sure he would like it.

Since Lucius and Narcissa were still on house arrest, Draco was doing a small lunch at the Manor with his parents, Harry and Severus. Harry was grateful that his relationship with his old potions professor had thawed in the last month.

At precisely noon on June fifth, Harry Floo'd to Malfoy Manor. His cloak was taken by one of the house elves and Harry muttered a quiet 'thanks' to the creature.

Draco was in the room, pacing, and hadn't noticed Harry's arrival yet. Harry took a moment to admire the young man. He was dressed casually, yet still elegantly, in black trousers and a silver button-down shirt. His dark blue robe was open over it and accentuated his lean frame.

Harry walked up behind Draco on his next turn and wrapped his arms across his torso. He squeezed slightly and laid a gentle kiss to Draco's neck, causing a slight shiver from Draco.

"Happy birthday, love," Harry whispered in Draco's ear.

Draco relaxed into Harry's hold and Harry could feel the muscles in Draco's cheek move in a smile when he placed his chin on Draco's shoulder.

"Thank you. And thank you for coming. I know my father is still being annoying," Draco said and released a sigh.

"Annoying" was one way to describe the elder Malfoy. The man made at least one attempt on Harry's life every time Harry saw him. Not being able to die had its benefits, but it was still irritating having his boyfriends' father trying to kill him all the time. Harry opted to ignore the mention of Lucius.

"Is Sev here yet," Harry asked.

The Floo sounded at that moment and the man in question stepped from the fireplace with his back straight and head held high. He vanished the soot from his robes and the floor without a word before looking up at the two men in the room.

"Why must you insist on using that insipid nickname, Potter?" Severus asked, a slight sneer on his face.

"Because it annoys you," Harry deadpanned. That should have been obvious.

Severus sighed and rolled his eyes. Harry was shocked at how fond the gesture seemed. He must be imagining things.

"Happy birthday, Draco," Severus said.

Harry was happy to see the genuine smile on the mans face. He seemed much less severe than Harry had ever known him to be whenever Harry saw him lately. It was obvious to anyone who took the time to see that Severus had been acting during the last eighteen years. With the Dark Lord gone, Severus was free to be himself. And Harry had found he rather liked Severus' authentic self.

Draco stepped away from Harry to shake Severus' hand. He reached for Harry's hand and led them to the dining room where Narcissa and Lucius were already waiting.

"Cissa," Harry greeted with a warm smile.

Narcissa stood and hugged Harry close to her. Harry placed a kiss to both of her cheeks and moved on to greet Lucius. Harry knew better than to touch the older man.

"Lucius," Harry greeted with a congenial nod.

"Potter," Lucius sneered back.

"Lunch is ready. Why don't we eat and then Draco can open his gifts," Narcissa suggested.

Harry took his seat beside Draco as several house elves appeared with the food. They served themselves and ate while making idle chat. Harry avoided Lucius as much as possible and spoke to Draco and Severus, while including Narcissa as much as possible. Lunch was delicious, as usual, and Harry found himself enjoying the day so far.

After lunch, they moved into one of the parlors on the main floor. Harry could see that Draco was trying to contain his excitement. It was obvious the blond loved getting presents. Harry couldn't blame him, nor could he keep the soft smile from his face as he watched Draco bounce in anticipation.

They sat around the fire with Harry and Draco sharing the sofa with Narcissa, and Severus and Lucius occupying the two wingback chairs on either side of the fireplace, facing the trio.

Severus handed Draco his present first and Draco tore off the paper. He dropped the paper to the floor, completely disregarding it in favor of what was inside. Harry noted that it was a master level potions kit.

"Thank you so much, Uncle Severus!" Draco effused.

Since Draco was apprenticing under Severus, Harry thought this was an appropriate gift from the potions master. Draco would certainly get a lot of use out of it. Harry was sure Draco would have loved it even if he wasn't apprenticing to be a Master Potioneer himself.

Harry was surprised that Lucius and Narcissa gave separate gifts. Lucius handed his over next. Once again, Draco tore the paper with absolutely no care.

From his father, Draco had received a ring with the Malfoy family crest. Lucius explained that the ring had wards that protected against some of the major curses that the heir ring didn't include in its' protections.

"Mine next, dear," Narcissa said. She handed him a box. Harry was pretty sure it was clothes because it looked like all the boxes Dudley used to hate getting for his birthday and Christmas.

With no paper to tear, Draco simply lifted the lid of the long box. Inside was a set of gorgeous silver robes. Draco was not Dudley, and he seemed quite delighted with the gift. They looked so soft that Harry couldn't resist reaching out and dragging his fingers along the fabric. Draco lifted the robes from the box.

"What's the material?" Harry asked, still stroking the soft folds.

"Acromantula silk. I bought it from Madame Toussaint's in Paris," Narcissa replied.

"They're lovely, mum. Thank you," Draco said absently, still admiring the robes in his hands.

Draco refolded and replaced the robes back into the box. He placed the box on the floor and looked up at Harry expectantly. Harry tried to smile, but in his nervous state it came out as more of a grimace. While he was sure Draco would like it, Harry wasn't so sure it was exactly birthday present material.

He reached into his pocket and retrieved the small rectangular package. It was wrapped, by Hermione of course, in green foil paper with a silver bow on top. He passed it to Draco, who seemed simultaneously eager and apprehensive. In all likelihood due more to Harry's grimace than any true worry on Draco's part, Harry knew.

Showing unprecedented patience and care, Draco slid his finger between the tape and paper and lifted, taking care to remove the paper. When he tossed the paper aside he revealed a leather-bound journal. It was green and obviously old. For a moment, Draco just stared at the front cover. Then he looked at Harry with wide eyes that were suspiciously shiny.

"Is this what I think it is?" Draco breathed out.

"That depends on what you think it is," Harry hedged.

He couldn't judge Draco's reaction and that worried him. He had hoped Draco would like the gift.

"Is this actually a hand-written potions journal? Written by none-other than Salazar-founder-of-my-house-Slytherin" Draco asked, voice still breathy.

"Er, yeah. Yeah it is."

The look on Draco's face at Harry's admission removed any doubts he had had. The way Draco's face lit up, his eyes widened and still shiny, made Harry's heart flutter. Best of all was the wide, genuine, smile on Draco's face. Harry loved that smile, and felt a warm sense of accomplishment at having it aimed at him.

Of course Lucius would try to ruin it.

Harry didn't hear the spell, but he saw the acid green light coming his way and rolled his eyes.

"You didn't even try to get out of the way?" Lucius asked, aghast.

"What's the point? Even if you mean it, nothing will happen," Harry answered with a careless shrug.

Harry took a sip of his tea and made a point of looking away from Lucius.

"So, how was your birthday, love?" Harry asked Draco.

Lucius fumed in the chair in front of Harry and he could almost feel the glare the other man was surely aiming at him. Draco glanced between Harry and Lucius once before taking Harry's cue and ignoring the murder attempt.

"It's been lovely. I'm very happy with my gifts and getting to spend the day with my favorite people," Draco answered.

While he was talking, Harry slipped his wand into his hand and discreetly pointed it at Lucius. With a whispered "colovaria" Harry charmed Lucius' hair pink again. He glared at Severus to warn him against saying anything.

Narcissa hid her smile behind her teacup, and Harry hoped Lucius either didn't see it, or misinterpreted it. Draco's eyes widened, but he was turned mostly away from Lucius, so Harry hoped the man didn't notice that either.

As the day went on, Harry saw Lucius' increasingly confused looks, especially when Narcissa couldn't hide her grin any longer. Harry was happy to have his prank last as long as it had. The first time he had done it, Draco ruined it by laughing immediately.

Harry and Draco were settling in for bed when Lucius found the prank. His bellow of rage was loud enough to hear from three suites over. Draco and Harry laughed so hard they had tears streaming down their faces. They clutched their stomachs and rolled around on the bed. They each fell asleep with a smile that night.

_**Chapter 3: Harry's Birthday**_

As had become his tradition, Harry saw his birthday arrive. At exactly midnight, there was a tap on the window. Having expected it, Harry was already opening the windowpane before the bird finished its first tap.

He relieved the owl of its burden and offered it an owl treat from the jar Draco kept on the desk. He left the window open and soon saw Ron's tiny ball of feathers, Pigwidgeon, zooming toward the house. Errol, the Weasley's family owl, was not far behind him.

Harry took the shrunken parcel from the excited owl and gave it a treat. Errol had collapsed onto the desk as soon as he got through the window. Harry untied the package and gently laid the bird near a bowl of water and some treats. He knew the owl would be sleeping for a while.

He heard the bed covers rustling and then the sound of bare feet on the hardwood before a pair of strong arms wrapped around him from behind. Harry leaned back into the embrace and smiled when he felt a gentle kiss to the side of his neck.

"Happy birthday, Harry," Draco whispered against his skin, making Harry shiver.

Harry stood for a moment, basking in the warm embrace. Then he turned to kiss Draco. It was a soft, chaste kiss, and Harry pulled back before Draco could deepen it. He turned back to the desk. Pig and the unknown owl had left, but as expected, Errol was sleeping where Harry had left him.

Harry reached for the package from Ron and pulled off the paper. He was happy to see the broom service kit because he had run low on supplies. Ron always knew when Harry needed new supplies and Harry was grateful for such an observant friend.

Errol had brought a book on his family history from Hermione. He opened the front cover and found a beautifully illustrated family tree. Harry traced his parents' names and followed the tree back a few generations, just looking and not really taking in the names. He snapped the book shut and laid it on the desk, a smile tugging at his lips. Hermione also always knew the perfect thing to get him.

The unknown owl had delivered his customary fudge and rock cakes from Hagrid. He left the tin by the fire to soften them up. Harry knew from experience that there was no other way to eat Hagrid's creations, but he appreciated the gifts nonetheless.

"Come to bed," Draco said when Harry turned away from the fire.

He reached his hand out and Harry grasped it. Harry allowed Draco to pull him to the bed and they collapsed together. Harry fell asleep to the feeling of Draco's nimble fingers carding through his hair.

"Master Harry, please wake up sir," was what Harry heard upon waking a few hours later.

He sat up and rubbed his eyes before reaching for his glasses. He heard Draco groan behind him and echoed his feelings. It was much too early.

"What time is it, Dobby?" Harry asked.

"It is being seven in the morning, Harry Potter, sir."

"Why am I getting up?" Harry groaned; they had gotten to bed around one or two, so he had only had about five hours of sleep or so.

He sat up and reached for his robe, not waiting for Dobby's answer.

"Mistress Cissa is having breakfast ready for sirs," Dobby answered and promptly popped away.

Harry stood and ambled towards the bathroom. He took a quick shower and changed, knowing Draco would still be asleep. Just as Harry suspected, Draco was lying in bed with a pillow over his head. Harry threw open the curtains and pulled the blanket down. Draco groaned, but made no move to get up.

"Come up, get up you lazy lout," Harry said.

Draco moved the pillow enough to glare at Harry for a second then moved it back.

"Oh no you don't," Harry said and pulled the pillow away.

"Fucking hell, Potter," Draco said, glaring again. "Fine. I'm up. We'll go have breakfast with mum."

Harry couldn't help the stupid grin that took over his face at hearing Draco refer to Narcissa simply as "mum" rather than "my mum." He did the same whenever Ron and the twins did it also. Harry was quite happy with the family he had found.

Draco's glare softened at the sight of Harry's smile. He reached up and threaded his fingers with Harry's. Harry pulled their joined hands up and gently kissed their knuckles.

"I love you," Harry said.

It was the first time he had said it out loud and he could feel the panic building. He knew he loved Draco. Had known for a while now. His love for Draco grew every day. But he was worried that it was too soon to be saying it. They had only been dating since May, only three months.

It felt like an eternity until Draco's eyes widened in realization at what Harry had said. The smile that overtook Draco's face was enough to eliminate all of Harry's fears.

"I love you, too," Draco said. His voice was low and breathy and Harry couldn't help himself.

He leaned forward and was met halfway by Draco in a kiss meant to be soft but which quickly turned passionate. Harry found his hands tangled in platinum hair and couldn't remember moving them. He felt the tug of Draco's hands in his own hair.

Harry was walking Draco towards the bed when a crack was heard and the two split apart.

"Bloody hell, Dobby!" Harry exclaimed with a hand clutched to his chest. His heart rate was slowing, but he felt no less dramatic.

"Dobby is being sorry sirs," Dobby said wringing his small hands. "Dobby is not wanting to disturb young sirs, but Dobby is being told by Mistress Cissa to remind sirs that breakfast is waiting."

Harry sighed and offered Dobby a smile. "Sorry Dobby. We got a bit carried away. We'll be down in a moment."

Dobby didn't reply. He snapped his fingers and an outfit appeared on the bed. His smile could only be described as cheeky when he popped away. Harry only realized then that Dobby had been deliberately loud when he popped in.

_Cheeky little elf_, Harry thought with a chuckle.

Draco turned around and picked up the shirt on top. It was a silver button down and had black trousers and emerald green briefs folded underneath it.

"At least he picked a good outfit," Harry said.

Draco scoffed. "As if he had a choice. My clothing is all impeccable."

Harry laughed and went to lean against the desk while Draco changed. He picked up the book from Hermione and opened it to a random page. It appeared to be a history book, more than just a family tree. The page he opened to was his grandfather, Fleamont Potter. Harry already knew he was the inventor of Sleakezey's because of his Gringotts statements. Draco had also teased him that he ought to use it to tame his own hair.

Harry glanced up when Draco moved back into his line of sight. The shirt perfectly accented Draco's eyes and Harry knew from past experience that the trousers would perfectly accentuate Draco's ass.

Harry took the hand Draco offered and set the book back on the desk. They headed to the breakfast room together, hand-in-hand.

"Good morning, Narcissa," Harry said. He took her hand in his and placed a kiss on her knuckles. She used the hold to pull him forward for a hug and kiss on both of his cheeks.

"Morning dear," Narcissa said. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you," Harry said with a smile as he settled at the table.

Draco hugged his mother and they traded cheek kisses before Draco sat beside Harry. Narcissa sat on Draco's other side.

"Severus will be here shortly. He had something that needed to be done at the shop," Narcissa said when they were settled.

A few minutes' later two voices could be heard coming up the hall. Harry recognized them as Severus and Lucius but couldn't tell what was being said at first.

"-Try, Luc. If not for him, then for Draco. Try for me. I want peace, Luc. He's Lily's son. I'm trying to get to know him, and you should too. He's a good kid," Harry heard Severus say.

Harry couldn't help his smile. It had been a rocky beginning with Severus, but things were good between them. Usually. They still butted heads occasionally. Harry suspected that was normal, especially with his observations of the Weasley family.

Draco looked over and smiled at Harry. He took Harry's hand under the table as the door opened and Severus came in with Lucius. Lucius looked like he had swallowed a lemon whole. Clearly he didn't agree that Harry was a "good kid" as Severus had said.

"Morning Sev," Harry greeted, still smiling.

"Of course you heard me, brat. Good morning, and happy birthday," Severus said. He conjured a chair beside Harry, as the breakfast table only had four.

"Good morning Draco. Hello my love," Lucius said. He glanced briefly at Harry as he sat next to his wife and best friend. "Harry."

"Good morning, Lucius," Harry said. He refused to allow Lucius to ruin his mood.

"We're going to finish breakfast and I'm told Severus and the boys have plans. I wanted to give you your gift before you left, Harry," Narcissa said.

She pulled out her wand and silently summoned a package wrapped in bright red paper. She handed it to Draco to pass along to Harry. Harry took it excitedly and looked around the table.

"Go on, open it now," Narcissa answered his unasked question.

Harry happily tore the paper off and vanished it with a thought. He opened the box and found the softest green robes he had ever held, aside from Draco's matching pair.

"Thank you, Narcissa. Is this silk?" Harry asked.

"Yes, from a lovely little shop in Paris."

"It's beautiful. I love it."

Severus reached into his inner pocket on his robe and pulled out a shrunken packed. He resized it and handed it to Harry. Harry tore off the paper and vanished it again, more focused on the gift inside. It was a black leather wand holster. He lifted it up and could feel the magic thrumming through it.

"What's on it?" Harry asked. He ignored the look on Lucius' face in favor of the one of pride on Severus'.

"It has charms and spells weaved through it to prevent your wand from being summoned from you while holstered. It also has a spell that links to your wand and will summon it back if you are disarmed," Severus answered.

"That's amazing! Thank you so much, Sev," Harry said.

He pulled up his right sleeve and strapped the holster on. The leather was so soft it felt like a second skin. He placed his wand in the slot for it and practiced retrieving it until it felt natural.

"My gift doesn't fit in my pocket and can't be summoned the magical way," Draco said. Then he whistled.

There was a ruffling of feathers and then a beautiful owl with a white heart-shaped face and brown wings with spots of black flew gracefully into the room. It perched upon Draco's outstretched arm.

Harry gasped and stared at the bird. It was gorgeous, with a perfect heart on its face and the coloring on its wings was beautiful.

"I know I can't replace Hedwig, but it's been a year. You need an owl, for practical purposes if nothing else. And he drew me in. I'm sorry if it's too soon, but-" Draco babbled but Harry cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"He's perfect. He won't replace Hedwig, but you're right that I need an owl. I should have gotten one sooner, but…" Harry trailed off. His eyes were drawn back to the bird.

"I'm glad you like him," Draco said. His shoulders relaxed and Harry could hear him releasing a relieved breath.

"He's really beautiful. Does he have a name?" Harry asked.

"The shop owner said he doesn't name his animal. He's just over a year old, and he's a barn owl."

Harry considered the bird for a moment. He reached out and scratched the owls' head, smiling when he leaned into the touch.

"I like Finn. What do you think, eh?"

The owl hooted softly and pushed his head more firmly into Harry's hand.

"I think he likes it," Draco said.

"Yes, well, as touching as all this is I thought Harry might be interested in his gift from me," Lucius said.

The elder Malfoy pulled a bottle of firewhisky from his pocket and enlarged it.

"Er. Thanks, Lucius," Harry said. He reached for the bottle and exchanged a glance with Draco.

"You should try some," Lucius insisted. He wasn't being subtle at all.

"Luc, it's not even nine in the morning," Narcissa admonished.

Harry's eyebrows raised and he shared another glance with Draco. Finally, Harry shrugged and summoned a glass. He conjured some ice and poured a dash of the whiskey. He looked Lucius straight in the eye and downed the drink.

"Could do without the poison, Luc," Harry quipped. Then he vanished the contents of the bottle and performed a freshening charm on his mouth. Wandlessly. And silently. He enjoyed making Lucius twitch. "Can't be too careful. I'm the only one who could survive that and I'm not quite ready for Draco to die just yet," Harry said still looking at Lucius.

Lucius was slowly turning red. He plastered a spurious smile on his face and stood up so fast his chair almost tipped over.

"Enjoy your outing, Draco," Lucius said as he left the room.

"Thanks for the gifts, guys. I truly appreciate them," Harry told the other three in the room.

Narcissa smiled, though it seemed forced, and followed her husband. Harry and Draco soon left with Severus.

_**Chapter 4: Christmas at the Burrow**_

Christmas at the Burrow was in full swing. Harry was happy to enjoy the chaos around him. He loved major holidays where his whole family got together to celebrate. He didn't see Percy and Charlie as often as the rest of the Weasleys. He had dinner with Remus and Dora at least twice a week to spend time with them and little Teddy. He was happy that the Weasleys had taken Draco in as if he was one of their own. Last Christmas was still a little tense. But with a year and a half of dating, Draco was treated the same as any of the other partners.

Teddy was absolutely enamored with Draco. Draco tried to hide it around everyone else, but he adored his little cousin. He wasn't very good at hiding it either. Harry thought that was rather a good thing. He loved to see Draco's soft side. When the family saw Draco cooing at the toddler, they accepted him more fully and for that Harry was grateful.

Harry laughed as he watched Draco and Teddy chase each other around the Weasley's back garden. He could hear Draco's shouts of "I'm gonna get you!" even over the rest of the family chattering.

"That is the softest look I have ever seen on your face," Hermione said from beside him.

Harry just shrugged, never looking away from his godson and his partner playing.

"You really love him, don't you?" Ron said. Harry could see him shaking his head from the corner of his eye.

"Yeah. Yeah I do," Harry replied, still watching his favorite duo.

Draco had just caught Teddy and scooped him up from behind. The little boy squealed with delight, his hair changing to an electric blue. Harry had noticed it was Teddy's favorite color and he often sported it whenever he was happy.

"Mum sent us to collect you lot. It's time for presents," Ron said.

Teddy's head jerked around and his eyes lit up. His hair changed to Ron's exact shade of red and his face split with a wide grin.

"Pwesents!" Teddy shouted.

He launched himself out of Draco's arms and ran full speed at Ron, who had to lock his knees to avoid falling over.

"We open pwesents Unca Won?" Teddy said, tugging on Ron's trousers.

"Yes, presents! C'mon, let's go inside," Ron replied. He reached down and lifted Teddy into his arms to carry him inside.

The rest of the adults followed. The entire extended family was crowded into the Wesley's living room. Harry was happy to see Sev there, looking dour as ever, but still present. He smiled and received a slight up tilt to the man's lips in response.

Teddy had left Ron in favor of his father and was currently bouncing on the werewolf's lap. Dora was making her face change and causing everyone who was looking to laugh.

Andromeda was rolling her eyes at her daughter while also laughing at her grandson. Harry was glad to see her in good spirits. She had taken Ted's death pretty hard. Harry gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

"It's lovely to see you, Andy," Harry said.

"It's lovely to be here."

Harry made his way over to Bill and Fleur. Bill was talking to Arthur but Fleur was watching Harry approach. Harry embraced Fleur then held her at arms length.

"You're absolutely glowing," Harry effused.

"Merci! I feel like I swallowed a beach ball, and she kicks all ze time. But I am zo happy!" Fleur replied. Her smile was so bright Harry thought for sure it must light up the room.

"I can't wait to meet her," Harry said.

"An uncle should always be excited to meet their niece. I'd be disappointed if you weren't," Bill said, nudging Harry playfully.

"Alright, dears! Gather round!" Molly said. She was sitting in the armchair by the Christmas tree.

Everyone sat and waited for presents to be passed around. Due to the large family size, they didn't open gifts one at a time. Instead, Molly accio'd gifts by person and floated them to the correct people. The only exception was Teddy, whose parents got his gifts.

Harry and Draco excitedly delved into their gifts. Many were "couple" gifts, but that suited Harry just fine. The more people treated Draco like family, the happier Harry was.

They had been remodeling Grimmauld since his birthday. They were planning to move in by February and were both quite excited about it.

Harry opened his gift from Remus and Dora first. It was large, he estimated probably two feet wide by three or four feet tall. He hardly noticed the hush that fell over the room as he gently tore the paper off. At the sight of a picture frame he froze, eyes widening.

When he caught movement, he nearly dropped the frame. His mind was going a mile a minute. There were only three people he could conceive of Remus - or anyone - giving him a portrait of.

He finally tore the largest piece of paper away to reveal the occupants of the frame. He stared in utter disbelief at his parents. They were sitting on a settee, smiling at him.

"How?" Harry asked faintly.

"I took it upon myself to visit Godric's Hollow. I was hoping to find something of James' or Lily's for you. I might have, if I hadn't stopped looking once I found this," Remus said.

Harry could hear his voice getting closer, but he couldn't tear his gaze away from the portrait in his hands.

"Apparently they had begun the painting and were mostly finished. They imbued it with their magic early and the only thing needed was the background and some touch ups because it had been sitting for so long," Remus continued his explanation.

"You're real?" Harry asked.

"Yes my son. We're real. We've been waiting to be found for so long. We've missed you, darling," Lily answered.

Harry could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks but he didn't care. He was talking to his parents. He had only ever spoken to them twice before, in the graveyard and again in the forest. He knew he could have brought them back with the Stone, but he also knew it would never be the same. He hadn't given in to the temptation. He knew he would never be tempted again, with this portrait.

"Thank you, Remus. Thank you so much," Harry choked out. He forced his gaze to Remus and leaned into the hug the man gave him.

It was hard, but Harry put the painting beside him to move on with his presents. His gaze kept straying to the painting, and he showed them everything he got. He had just picked up the next present when he was bowled over and his vision was obscured by bright pink hair.

"Thank you so much, Harry! I can't believe you did this for me!" Dora shouted in his ear.

Harry laughed and patted her back. "It's nothing. You deserve it, Dora."

"Harry are you sure about the amount?" Remus asked.

"Yes. It's the exact same Draco got, so Dora is entitled to it. She's exactly as much a Black as Draco is," Harry replied.

He had known Remus would want to object to the money when he set it up. That was why he made sure it was exactly what Draco had gotten from his own inheritance.

"I'm officially a Black!" Dora said and then did a little dance.

Everyone laughed at her antics and then moved on. Harry caught Andromeda's hushed thanks and he smiled at her.

Harry focused back on the present in his hand. It was another rectangular package but much smaller and thicker than the portrait. The tag said it was from Ron.

He opened it and found a dark mahogany box. He glanced at Ron and raised his brow. Ron made a shooing motion and said, "Just open it, mate."

Harry did as he was bid and found inside an assortment of markers and pencils - graphite, drawing and colored. There were erasers, rulers and stencils. There was a hardcover drawing pad at the bottom.

"Thank you, mate," Harry said with a bright smile. He hadn't realized that anyone had known about his drawing. He was happy his friend paid that much attention to his habits, even the ones he didn't talk about or share.

"Mate. Are you serious?" Ron said, holding his present from Harry in front of him.

"I thought you might like that," Harry said, laughing and Ron's face.

"It's signed by all seven Canons. And I've got an orange jersey with my name on it!" Ron enthused.

Harry chuckled again and moved on to his next gift. The loud purple wrapping paper could only be from the twins. It wasn't signed, but Harry just knew. He wasn't positive he wanted to open it, especially not in front of the family.

"What's 'Disney' mate?" George asked.

"A muggle amusement park. I always wanted to go. The adverts on the telly made me think you'd love it," Harry explained.

"I went with my parents. It was absolutely brilliant," Hermione said. "A week should be enough time to see everything."

"Thanks!" The twins replied in unison.

"Oh and," Fred started.

"You might want," George continued.

"To wait til."

"You're alone."

"To open that," they finished together.

Harry warily slid the package to the side. If they were cautioning him it would be best to wait. Harry was already anxious about the contents.

"Ooooh! Yes, thank you so much, Harry! I wanted to get this exact planner!" Hermione said.

"I saw it and immediately thought of you," Harry replied. He peeled the paper off what he knew was a book from Hermione. It was actually two books. One was a history of the Black family, like the Potter one he'd gotten from her for his birthday. It was self-updating, also like the Potter book. The other book was about his role on the Wizengamot as a head of several houses. He smiled and thanked Hermione. He could always count on her for practical gifts that were also bound to be entertaining.

A loud laugh had the rooms' occupants turning to Remus. The normally staid man was chortling, curled over his knees, clutching a piece of parchment.

"Sorry, sorry! I'm fine," Remus said, struggling to pull himself together.

Harry could see Teddy playing with toys he had bought and was sure he knew what Remus was laughing at.

"Draco, please do not buy my child an actual toy store," Remus said, still chuckling.

Draco glared at Harry. Harry shrugged and laughed at Draco. He pushed the next parcel into Draco's hands to distract him. It worked; Draco dropped the glare and opened the package. It was from Bill and Fleur.

"My ears aren't pierced. Neither are Harry's. But I can feel the magic in these. It's powerful," Draco said to Bill.

"I can, too. I always wanted to pierce my ear. Why not, Dray?" Harry said.

Draco shrugged and put the box with the other gifts. "Sounds like a good enough idea to me."

"Non!" Fleur gasped, holding a piece of parchment in her hand. She looked up, shock clear on her face.

"Yes," Harry insisted.

"Harry! Non. You cannot. Zis is too much!"

"I want to. Please? I know it's a lot, but she's my niece. And. Well. You know what I dealt with. I never want a child to go through that. A new nursery is nothing to me. After all you two did for us, it's no less than you deserve." Harry said.

Fleur studied Harry's face for a few moments and her own softened. ''Oui. Merci, Harry."

"Victoire will love it, I'm sure," Bill added.

Harry turned back to Draco when he heard him gasp. He was holding a bottle of what Harry thought was wine.

"Is this 1287 Elf wine?" Draco asked, staring incredulously at Percy and his fiancé, Audrey.

"It is, actually. You really know your wine," Percy replied.

"I've been helping mother plan dinner parties and balls since I learned how to walk. You learn a thing or two," Draco said with a shrug. "This is an excellent wine. Thank you, Percy, Audrey."

Percy started to reply when Audrey interrupted with a gasp. He looked at the parchment in her hand and his own hand flew to his mouth.

"Harry! Are you serious?" Percy whispered.

"Of course, Perce. I hope you enjoy it," Harry replied, absently reaching out for another gift.

"Mate! Does this really make me fireproof?" Charlie exclaimed, holding a potion aloft.

"Course it does. You work with dragons. I wouldn't say it did something like that if it didn't," Harry answered.

"This is amazing. Mum, Harry made me fireproof!" Charlie said, excitement clear in his voice.

Molly shot Harry a nervous look and Harry started to realize it might not actually be safe to fireproof the Gryffindor dragon-tamer.

"Er. Right. Thanks for the boots, Charlie," Harry said, feeling awkward.

"Oh! You added me back as well, Harry?" Andromeda asked sounding a little stunned.

"Course. You never should have been disowned. Did you see the certificate for a spa day, too?" Harry asked opening what appeared to be a full China set with the Black family crest.

"Yes, thank you, dear," Andy replied.

"Is this an heirloom Andy? It's not the only one you have, is it?" Harry asked.

"No, no dear. I just remembered my cousin tossing the set he had and figured you might like this one."

Harry remembered Sirius tossing a lot when they were cleaning Grimmauld. He felt a pang remembering Siri and shared a look with Remus.

"I know, cub. Me too." Remus whispered.

Harry smiled and held back a few tears. He reached for the last gift in the pile and upon realizing it was from Ginny he looked around for Molly. The Weasley matriarch seemed to be searching for something and muttering to herself.

"Ah hah!" She shouted, roughly pulling two packages from under the sofa across the room. She brought them over to Harry and Draco and held them out. Harry beamed and opened his immediately.

"Thanks, mum!" Harry said, already tugging his hand-knit sweater over his head.

As soon as his vision cleared of sweater it was obscured by a mass of red hair and he was being squeezed tightly by who he knew was Molly. It was only then that he realized what he'd said. Harry had long considered Molly Weasley to be like a mother to him, but had never said anything to her. He was worried people would be upset and that it would dishonor his actual mother. Molly backed away and Harry saw her wiping her eyes.

"Oh! I'm so happy that my baby has a mum to look to!" Lily said from beside him.

Harry immediately let out the breath he hadn't fully known he was holding. His shoulders slumped and he fell back into the chair. Draco's hand was rubbing his shoulder and he offered an encouraging smile when Harry looked over at him. Harry was happy to see Draco in a grey sweater with a "D" on the front.

Molly was sitting with Arthur, who was also beaming and little glassy eyed. All the Weasleys were smiling at him and he could feel his face burning. He buried his face in Draco's shoulder for a moment until the noise in the room picked back up.

Harry had given Molly pearl earrings and Arthur a muggle train set. But Harry suspected his best gift was calling Molly mum. He jerked up when a ball of paper bounced off the back of his head. Harry turned to see Ginny grinning at him and holding her new pet kneazle.

That's when he remembered the last gift in his lap. He sat back and reached for the package. He noticed Draco hadn't opened his yet either and he nudged the blond. They opened their gifts together and inside was a - clearly handmade - mug. The handles were both lopsided and Harry's rim was a bit wonky, but he loved it. It was a great gift from one of his best friends and he was happy to see that it matched with Draco's.

The biggest gift his family could give him was this openhearted acceptance of the man he loved.

They sat for another hour with the family until Teddy grew cranky. Harry went with Remus to put him down for a nap.

"I can't thank you enough for the painting," Harry said.

"Ah, well. Technically I just found it and had it finished," Remus said.

"Yeah, well, I'm glad to have them. And I'm bringing them to Christmas at Draco's. I'm so glad they can be there for this," Harry said.

Remus smiled knowingly and put Teddy to bed in Harry's room. They turned on the monitoring spells and went back downstairs.

While they were gone Draco had gathered their things and had Dobby bring them to Grimmauld. Harry called him to take his portrait to the Floo room at the Manor.

"Thanks, love," Harry said and kissed Draco's cheek.

They went around, saying their goodbyes and giving hugs and kisses. Then they took the Floo to Malfoy Manor. The day was only half over.

_**Chapter 5: Christmas at Malfoy Manor**_

Harry spelled the soot from his robes as he stepped through the Floo into the Malfoy Manor receiving room. He had gotten much better at Floo travel since he was twelve, and he was grateful for that fact. He spotted the painting of his parents and picked it up, holding it against his body with his parents facing him. He followed Draco into the hall and was happy not to get lost on his way to the family parlor.

"Hello darlings!" Narcissa greeted them.

She first hugged and kissed Draco before turning to Harry who accepted both happily. He was coming to see Narcissa in the same light as Molly.

"What's this, dear?" Narcissa asked.

Harry beamed at her and turned the portrait around.

"Remus found an almost finished painting at the cottage in Godric's Hollow and had it finished for me for Christmas," Harry answered.

"That's wonderful!" Narcissa said. She seemed genuinely happy for Harry.

"Hello Narcissa," Lily said pleasantly.

"Cissa," James said, less pleasantly. Lily elbowed him in the ribs.

"Lily. James. I'm so glad Harry was able to find this painting. I'm happy you could be here today," Narcissa said.

Harry could feel the awkwardness and moved to place the painting on a chair beside the sofa. Draco was already sitting on the sofa so Harry sat beside him and tried to relax. Draco took Harry's hand and started rubbing small circles with his thumb. The soothing motion normally worked but Harry was feeling too wound up.

"Where's Sev?" Harry asked.

"He came through about ten minutes before you and Draco and disappeared with Lucius. I sent a house elf to fetch them," Narcissa answered.

The door to the parlor opened as she was speaking and Severus and Lucius walked in. Lucius glanced at Harry and went to Draco to clap him on the back.

"Oh right. I forgot he would be here. What did Cissa ever see in him?" James muttered.

Harry smothered a laugh and Lily glared at them both after smacking the back of James' head.

"Well. Isn't this a surprise? When were you painted? I would have assumed I would have heard about this before," Lucius sneered.

"Well we've been gathering dust for, what? Eighteen years or so? Remmy found us and fixed us up," James replied breezily.

"I'm glad Harry has this. He deserves to know you and this is better than stories from old friends," Severus commented. Harry smiled at the man.

"Sev! I didn't see you there!" Lily exclaimed.

"Hello, Lils," Severus said, glaring at her.

"Like mother, like son, eh Uncle Severus?" Draco said with a laugh.

Harry chuckled but he was more interested in the interactions between the five adults. Narcissa seemed slightly wary but open. Harry suspected she was nervous because James and Lily would only have the past that they knew to judge her - and her husband and son - on.

Harry knew a lot had changed for Narcissa in the last eighteen years. Raising her son, living through the second war, and then her son dating the Savior had given her a lot to think about and she had mostly renounced her old views.

Severus seemed torn between happiness at being able to talk to Lily again, wary at what she would think of him, and resigned that James would always be there. Harry knew there was no love lost between the two men.

Lucius was, as always, harder to read. It was almost easier to get blood from a stone than to read Lucius Malfoy. Harry fancied that he was getting better at reading the man, but thought that was unlikely. Right now, Lucius looked annoyed. He always looked annoyed when Harry was in the room, so that didn't help much.

James looked like he was enjoying the entire situation. The marauder probably thought it was all a grand joke and Harry didn't know how to feel about that. On the one hand, his father was a prankster who, at the point he'd been painted, was only a few years older than Harry himself. He was bound to still be at least slightly immature. Harry remembered how Sirius acted and assumed his father was much the same when he had died. On the other hand, Harry didn't want any problems between his parents and Draco's. He wouldn't put it past Lucius to set the portrait aflame if he got angry enough.

Lily just looked hopeful. A little wistful, whenever she looked at Sev, but mostly hopeful. Harry suspected that she wanted this to work for him. He didn't know what Remus had told them, but neither of his parents were surprised that he was dating Draco, socializing with Severus or that they were going to be at Malfoy Manor for Christmas. Harry was grateful that Remus had already told them, because he didn't know how he would have. How do you explain to your parents, who died fighting Voldemort, that you were dating the son of a Death Eater? Harry didn't know.

The conversation had continued while Harry had been lost in thought and Draco tugged on his hand to bring his attention back. Harry glanced at Draco, who smiled and tilted his head towards Narcissa.

"I know you three just ate, so I figured we could do presents now, and then dinner later," Narcissa said.

No one objected so Narcissa gathered the presents together. With a smaller group, she divided the gifts and had people open them in duos. As the guests, she had Harry and Severus go first. Harry held his gift while Severus opened the one from Harry.

"How in the name of Merlin did you get these?" Severus asked.

"Er," Harry stuttered and glanced at the portrait of his parents. He didn't want to go into too much detail, but suspected he might have to. "Remember my second year?"

Everyone nodded. Lucius glared. James and Lily looked confused, which was to be expected.

"Well, the basilisk was still there. I talked to Minnie and by right of conquest it's mine. So I had it harvested. I sold a lot of it, but I knew you would like basilisk parts for your potions," Harry said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Right of conquest?" Lucius and James said together.

"Basilisk?!" Lily, Draco and Narcissa exclaimed in unison.

"It was still viable?" Severus said, the only calm one of the lot. He must have already known at least most of the story.

"Er, yeah. The harvesters said it might have been because of the Chamber. Kept it, er, fresh," Harry said awkwardly.

"What is this about a basilisk?" Draco demanded.

"It's a long story, and not really Christmas-y. Suffice it to say, I slayed a basilisk when I was twelve, well, nearly thirteen," Harry said, shrinking back into the sofa cushion.

Everyone started talking at once and Harry sank further into the cushions. Severus was the only silent one besides Harry.

"Silence!" Severus roared. "That is enough. It is Christmas. Let us get back to enjoying the holiday. Thank you, Harry, for such a wonderful and thoughtful gift."

Harry, grateful for Severus quelling the questions, nodded and unwrapped his gift from Severus. It was an entire painting kit with two different types of easel, different paints and several canvas boards. It was the perfect compliment to the gift Harry had gotten from Ron.

"Thank you, Sev! This is amazing," Harry said.

Narcissa then handed Harry his gift from her. It was small and square, wrapped in red paper with a small green bow. Harry removed the paper and found a small black velvet ring box. He quirked an eyebrow but opened it. Inside, nestled into a black silk lining, was what Harry knew to be the ring given to the spouse, or future spouse, of a pureblood from an old line.

The Malfoy crest, with the 'M' and what he thought might be wyverns on either side of it, was in the center of the ring. He could just make out the family motto of "Sanctimonia Vincet Semper," meaning "purity will always conquer," under the crest.

Harry was stunned. He knew what this ring meant. He also knew Narcissa needed Lucius' permission to give this to him. He stared at the ring for another second before gaping at Narcissa and Lucius.

"This. I. You. Just. Thank you," Harry stuttered, hoping to convey all his thoughts with those two words.

Narcissa smiled widely and tipped her head, acknowledging all he had left unsaid. Lucius sneered, but Harry had expected that.

Everyone ignored Lucius as Narcissa opened her gift from Harry. He had found it in the Black family vault and immediately thought of Cissa.

"Oh! You couldn't possibly have known this, but this necklace belonged to my mother. I had wondered what had become of it. Thank you, Harry," Narcissa said, holding the necklace up in front of her.

Harry smiled at her, happy that she liked his gift. His smile turned into a smirk as Narcissa handed Lucius a gift that Harry recognized.

"Does this tag say 'to Luc'?" Lucius said, his tone frosty.

"Yes," was Harry's simple reply.

Lucius sneered again and set about opening the gift. Harry dissolved into laughter at the look on Lucius' face. He bent double when Lucius picked up the first item, pinched it at the shoulders so he touched it as little as possible.

Everyone else started laughing and it only got worse when Lucius turned the shirt around. It was a muggle t-shirt with 'I survived' printed at the top, a drawing of the snake faced bastard and Nagini in the middle, and 'Lord Voldemort' underneath.

"Where did you get this?" Lucius demanded.

"The twins made it and are selling it, but I drew it," Harry said.

He was quite proud of the design and the shirts were selling like hotcakes. It was one of their more brilliant ideas that they came up with while drinking one night.

"There are jeans in there too," Harry pointed out helpfully.

Lucius sneered again. Harry wondered if it was his default facial expression. Harry was surprised when Lucius tossed a box at him. He hadn't actually expected anything from the man, which is why his gift had been a joke. He opened it and laughed. At least he didn't have to feel bad about his joke. Everyone looked between Lucius and Harry, wondering what the joke was.

Harry held up a bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. Lucius had had it custom made specifically for Harry's hair.

"I didn't know it was you who had commissioned this," Harry said, still laughing.

Harry tried to calm down while Narcissa and Lucius exchanged gifts. Lucius gave Narcissa some very expensive looking jewelry and she gave Lucius a new cane. Harry remembered the auror who "accidentally" snapped his original one.

Severus gave Narcissa less expensive-looking, but still beautiful, jewelry and she gave him potion ingredients Harry had never seen before. Harry perked up when Lucius went to open his gift from Sev. Harry had actually been instrumental in helping Severus with the potion, one which Severus and Draco had already taken.

"What is this?" Lucius asked, holding up a small potion bottle. The potion inside was an olive green and viscous.

"It is a potion that allows you to speak and understand Parseltongue. Harry helped me develop it and Draco and I have already taken it," Severus answered. "And thank you. I have been searching for this journal for years."

Lucius nodded, appearing distracted, while toying with the potion bottle. He set it aside and moved onto his gift from Draco. Draco had found an old book on the origins of the Wizengamot. Lucius was a massive history buff, but he would also be taking his seat back after his probation ended in a year.

Lucius had given Draco a never-ending journal. Harry had several for different things and knew how convenient they were. He also knew Draco had been thinking about getting a new one soon, so it was fortuitous that Lucius gifted it to him.

Draco gave Severus a journal written by Salazar Slytherin. It had potions and spells that hadn't been used or seen in centuries. Severus gave Draco books for his defense and potions masteries. Draco was much more grateful for practical gifts than Harry would ever be.

Narcissa had gone with Harry to Gringotts as soon as her house arrest had ended. Having been less involved in the war, never taking the mark, and lying to save Harry's life, Narcissa had gotten a shorter sentence than her husband and was off house arrest after six months. They had searched together for a ring with the Black family crest on it. Draco immediately put it on and admired how the gems complimented his Malfoy heir ring.

Draco had commissioned a custom dragon brooch made of diamonds for his mother. Harry knew she would love anything her son gave her.

Draco finally turned to Harry and handed him an envelope. Harry opened it and read the parchment it held.

"A trip around the world, huh? Might be lonely. Can I invite Sev? Ooh, or maybe Luc will go with me? He can wear his new jeans!" Harry said. He laughed and dodged a throw pillow from Draco. Harry pulled Draco forward into a kiss. "It sounds lovely."

Harry took a deep breath and looked into Draco's eyes. They were mesmerizing, as always, like molten pools of silver. Harry watched the mirth slowly fade into confusion as Draco watched Harry sit there, staring at him.

Harry held Draco's face in his hands and smiled softly.

"You know I love you. Love has been lacking in my life, especially for the first half. We've had a rocky go of it. Things certainly didn't start out well," Harry began and chuckled.

"Harry, what?" Draco started. Harry placed his finger over Draco's lips to silence him and placed it back on his cheek.

"I think I was partly in love with you long before I realized it. But I've known since your birthday. I love you. We're going to be moving into Grimmauld together in February and I am so excited to begin this next chapter of our lives together," Harry said.

He reached into his pocket and pulled something small out. He took another deep breath in and let it out slowly. It was still shaky. He stood from the sofa and bent his knee. He popped open the small box to reveal a ring. It was platinum and white gold, braided together with diamonds, emeralds and rubies embedded into the band.

He held the box forward and reached for Draco's left hand.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, love of my life, will you do me the honor of becoming my husband?" Harry asked breathlessly.

Draco's jaw dropped and he gaped at Harry. Harry sat there, on one knee, holding a ring and waited. And waited. Harry was about to get up when Draco launched himself at Harry and wrapped his arms around him. He peppered kisses all over Harry's face and repeated, "yes" over and over.

Harry laughed in relief and kissed Draco back.

"You mean it?" Harry asked.

"Yes! A million times, yes!" Draco replied.

Draco sat back and put the ring on his shaking left hand.

Harry was admiring how it looked when he was hit by an acid green spell. He sighed and wandlessly sent a stinging hex at Lucius.

"Father. Stop trying to murder my fiance," Draco said.

Then he realized what he had said and his eyes widened. He stared at the ring and whispered "fiance" over and over.

"My baby is engaged!" Narcissa and Lily both said at the same time.

Harry smiled. Narcissa and Lily were already discussing wedding ideas. Lucius was trying to soothe the sting from Harry's hex and shooting him murderous glares. Harry wasn't surprised. Severus was smiling at Harry and shooting amused smirks at Lucius.

"Is no one going to comment on the attempted murder? Or the fact that my son just survived the killing curse, again? No? Okay then," James muttered. He was roundly ignored, but Harry saw Severus share a commiserating look with the painted man.

Harry was happy.

_**Chapter 6: The Reception**_

"Holy shit I just got married," Harry said.

He grabbed his best man Ron's arm and clung to him. His head was swimming and the room was spinning.

"Calm down, mate," Ron said.

Harry's breathing accelerated and his vision began to go spotty.

"Oh god I'm dying. Draco's going to be a widow and he's only been a husband for five minutes. Oh my god I have a husband. I _am_ a husband!" Harry's thoughts were all over the place.

A potion bottle was shoved in his face. He vaguely recognized it as a mild calming draft - thank you Draco and Severus - before it was tipped and he was drinking it.

"I had assumed the panic attack would come before the vows. You never cease to surprise me, Potter," Severus drawled.

Harry's breathing returned to normal and he started picking up more sounds around him. He could see the worried looks on the faces of his family.

"I'm fine. I don't know why that happened," Harry insisted.

He pushed Ron's arm away but patted his shoulder in thanks.

Where's Draco?" Harry asked.

"He's with Narcissa. He didn't see your melt down," Ron answered softly.

"It wasn't a meltdown. I was just overwhelmed. I'm genuinely happy to be married to Draco. It just hit me all of a sudden that I'm married now," Harry said. He was glad Draco hadn't seen his panic attack nonetheless.

"I'm glad to hear that," Draco said from behind him. Harry felt his husbands' arms wrap around him from behind. His heart began to beat faster and his face split into a wide grin.

"Husband," Harry said with a sigh.

Ron cocked his head to the side.

"My husband. Draco is my husband," Harry answered the unasked question.

The more he said it, the better it sounded. He was married. He had a husband. His husband was Draco. The redundancy helped calm him more than the potion from Sev. He happily leaned into his husbands embrace.

The night had just begun. Friends and family surrounded Harry. Lucius had been given special permission to be there, because Harry had asked and Harry almost always got what he wanted if he pushed hard enough. Having Lucius at his son's wedding was important to both Harry and Draco. Also, the fact that the minister and half the Auror force were in attendance didn't hurt.

They had already had dinner and the first dances. Now the Weird Sisters were playing and the dance floor was full of recently graduated Hogwarts students. Almost everyone on the floor had left school in the last three or four years.

Harry and Draco had chosen July 3rd because it was after school let out and it was halfway between their birthdays. The weather was also as nice as it ever got in England, and Draco and Harry both wanted an outdoor wedding and reception.

Harry watched Luna and Ginny dancing with Blaise and Pansy. The twins were dancing with Angelina and Katie. Greg was dancing with Oliver, which surprised Harry but not Draco. Harry and Draco joined the throng of dancers. At one point, Harry pulled in Narcissa and even Severus for a dance. Lucius threatened to murder him if he even tried. So, naturally, Harry pulled the blond onto the dance floor and cast a sticking charm to his shoes.

Lucius' shouted threats went largely unheard, and completed ignored, while a drunk Draco and Harry danced around him. Harry released the sticking charm after three songs and Lucius stormed off to the table he shared with Sev and Cissa.

Harry casually sauntered over to the table and flopped down in a chair between Severus and Narcissa.

"Tonight has been fun!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes dear. It has. Please lower your voice," Narcissa said. She smoothed Harry's hair back and he leaned into her fingers.

"Here, take this. It might sober you up," Lucius said holding a drink towards Harry.

Harry was far too drunk to remember this was Lucius and downed the drink.

"Ugh! That was disgusting, Luc. Was it necessary to add the cyanide?" Harry said.

"Lucius! There are swarms of aurors and ministry personnel here! Not to mention the Minister himself! Control yourself," Narcissa reprimanded her husband in a hushed tone.

"Why does it matter? It never works!" Lucius sulked.

"Sorry, pops," Harry said. Then he let out a loud belch. "'Scuse me."

Harry got up to dance with Kingsley and Lucius fumed in his seat.

At the end of the night, Severus was handing out sobering potions like they were candy. Harry and Draco had agreed that every guest that had had more than two drinks had to take one before they left.

Harry took his and felt the instant sensation of sobering up. His eyesight cleared, his head stopped spinning and he knew exactly where he was again. He also remembered everything he had done that night with crystal clarity. He absolutely loved magic.

"I called your dad 'pops' earlier," Harry casually mentioned to Draco.

"Still have that death wish?" Draco replied.

Harry slung his arms around Draco's shoulders and pulled him close. He kissed Draco's temple and smiled.

"Like Pops said, it never works," Harry said.

Draco chuckled and turned so he was facing Harry. They were nearly the same height, with Draco just a few inches taller. He rested his forehead against Harry's and kissed the tip of his nose.

"Tonight was incredible," Draco said.

"It was perfect."

"You ready to use your Christmas present?"

"The one from the twins seems interesting. And there's stuff we haven't used in there yet."

Draco slapped the back of Harry's head and huffed a laugh. "The one from me," he clarified.

"Ah. That one. Yeah, let's see the world."

"Neither of you better come home pregnant! I'm far too young to be a grandfather. And Potter genes would taint the Malfoy line," Lucius said.

Harry laughed at the petulant tone in the elder Malfoy's voice. He laughed harder at the gleam in his husbands' eyes.

"All new places to shag, Harry," Draco stage whispered.

"Now they'll both be pregnant when they get home. Nice going, Luc," Severus said sarcastically.

"We'll see," Harry said.

Then he held his husband tighter and apparated them away.

_**Chapter 7: The Announcement**_

The tension in the room was palpable. A tall brunet man was pacing before the fireplace. He was waiting for his husband, who was running late. He made another pass before the fireplace. It crackled merrily, contrasting with his own internal turmoil. He raked a hand through his hair, making it even messier than usual.

As he turned to continue pacing he felt slender arms wrap around his torso from behind. Hair tickled his cheek and he felt warm breath on his neck.

"What's wrong, love?" Draco asked.

Harry relaxed instantly, leaning into his husband. He released the breath he hadn't known he was holding in a deep sigh.

"I'm nervous," he admitted.

Draco chuckled. Harry turned in his embrace and pressed his forehead to Draco's.

"There's nothing to be nervous about, love," Draco assured.

Harry breathed in deeply and caught Draco's gaze. The confidence he saw in the grey eyes he loved settled his nerves.

"You're right," Harry said.

Draco smiled and laid a gentle kiss to Harry's lips. Draco stepped back and took Harry's hand for a moment before dropping it. He reached for the canister on the mantle and took a handful of grey Floo powder. He threw the powder into the fire and spoke his destination before stepping through.

Harry waited until the flames returned to their natural color and Draco was gone before repeating his actions and stepping through the fire to a large room. Draco and a small house elf he didn't recognize greeted him. Draco reached for his hand again, linking their fingers. Then he led the way to the family room where Narcissa was expecting them.

The men both smiled once they saw her and each greeted her with a hug and kisses on each cheek.

"Welcome home, boys. I've missed you," Narcissa effused.

"It's good to be back. We've missed you as well, Mum," Harry said.

"Where's Dad?" Draco asked. Harry looked around and noticed the lack of the Malfoy patriarch in the room, as Draco must have done.

"Miss me that much, eh son?" the man in question asked, strolling into the room.

Draco greeted him warmly, while Harry kept his distance. He settled on the loveseat and turned to make small talk with Narcissa while Draco spoke with Lucius. They talked about the trip and the things Harry and Draco had done and seen together. Harry was happy to talk with Narcissa and let Draco handle his father.

Eventually the group moved to the small dining room for lunch. Harry sat between Draco and Narcissa, which put him across from Lucius. When the meal was finished, Draco cleared his throat. He took Harry's hand beneath the table and gripped it tightly. Both of the elder Malfoy's looked at Draco.

"We have an announcement," Draco began. "I'm pregnant. We're having a baby," he finished with a bright smile.

Harry beamed at his husband. He laid a gentle hand on Draco's still flat stomach.

"How wonderful!" Narcissa exclaimed. She reached over to hug her son.

Harry noticed the item flying at his head just in time to duck. The cup shattered against the wall behind him, but the liquid still scalded his face. Being preoccupied wiping his face, Harry didn't see the green spell light coming towards him until it was too late to dodge and it hit him in the middle of his chest.

"Luc! What on Earth are you doing?" Narcissa gasped and clutched at her chest.

"This is getting old, Lucius," Harry said with a resigned sigh.

Lucius glared at Harry, his wand still raised. Harry arched a brow and casually waved his hand. Behind him the teacup repaired itself and floated back to Lucius' saucer. The teapot lifted and refilled the cup while the sugar and milk moved into the cup in the perfect amount, doctoring the tea exactly how Lucius liked it.

"Father. Can you please stop trying to murder my husband? I quite like him, and wish for him to be around to help raise our child," Draco said. He glared half-heartedly at his father.

"It's not like he can die. No harm, no foul. Isn't that the saying?" Lucius said with an honest-to-Merlin pout on his face.

Harry couldn't help the incredulous laugh from leaving him. Lucius looked ridiculous, pouting like a child. Harry couldn't believe this was his life. Harry didn't miss the glare Lucius sent him, but it did nothing to remove his smirk. Draco swatted his arm but did nothing else.

It said a lot about his life that he was so accustomed to his father-in-law attempting to kill him every time he saw the man. Lucius sighed and reached towards his son, arms spread for a hug.

"If you are happy, I will learn to be happy about you carrying the Devil's spawn," Lucius said and pulled Draco in for a tight embrace.

"Oh, he's not carrying your kid, sir. That would be gross," Harry replied with a cheeky grin.

Draco snorted while Lucius glared.

"Dear, you just called my son, your husband, Devil's spawn," Narcissa pointed out with an arched brow.

"Ah shit. Sorry, love," Harry said sheepishly.

"It was worth it to see his face go that shade of greenish-red. I've never seen his vein pop like that before either," Draco said idly.

Even Narcissa laughed while Lucius went back to sulking.

_**Chapter 8: The Birth**_

Harry was never more grateful for having Hermione as a best friend and Draco as a husband than he was right then. He could imagine the chaos the scene would be if he hadn't had two highly responsible people in his life.

As it was, when Draco went into labor, Harry didn't immediately panic. Instead, he went straight to the list that had been stuck to the fridge for over a month. He checked every item off the list and Floo'd with Draco to the maternity ward at St. Mungo's.

The perks of being Harry Potter saw them being seen to immediately. There was no wait time as Draco was ushered into a private room while Harry was given forms to finish filling out. By the time he finished, Lucius and Narcissa had arrived.

"How is he?" Narcissa asked the moment she spotted Harry.

"Er, he was fine when we got here. I've been finishing the paperwork and haven't seen him for a few minutes," Harry admitted.

"You left my son to fend for himself?" Lucius sneered.

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored the man. Instead of replying, he led them to the room Draco was in.

"Harry, Mum, Dad," Draco said when they opened the door.

"Hello, love," Harry said.

He crossed the room to stand at Draco's side. He leaned down and placed a kiss on Draco's forehead.

"How are you? Everything going as expected?" Narcissa asked.

"So far, so good. The pain is bearable," Draco replied.

Harry frowned and took one of Draco's hands. He linked their fingers and sat in a chair by the bed. He hated that childbirth was painful. Maybe he should carry the next one if they want more kids? He decided to bring that up with Draco later. There was nothing he could do now except be there for his husband.

They knew it would be a cesarean because men didn't have a birth canal. They were waiting for the healer to arrive to perform the surgery. Harry and Draco both gasped in pain at the exact same moment. Draco from the contraction and Harry from Draco squeezing his hand with the tight grip the blond had.

"Breathe, Draco. In and out, just like that," Narcissa coached her son.

Draco's grip on Harry's hand slowly loosened as he breathed along with his mother. Harry was grateful for it. Draco had fallen limp, the worst of the contraction passing, when the healer knocked on the frame of the open door. He stood in the doorway in his lime green healer's robes and entered when Draco beckoned him forward.

"Misters Potter-Malfoy! The day is finally upon us, eh?" the man said cheerfully.

"Yes, Healer Brown. And we've followed all your instructions," Harry replied.

"Excellent!" Healer Brown clapped his hands together. "Now is the time for all non-staff to leave the room."

Harry squeezed Draco's hand and leaned down to kiss him tenderly. He kissed his eyelids, nose and forehead then leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"I'm so proud of you, my love. You're going to be amazing and I'll be right outside the door. I love you so much, Draco. I'll see you soon."

"I love you, too," Draco replied.

Harry placed one more soft kiss to his love's forehead before standing and leaving the room.

As anxious as he was, Harry couldn't sit down. Instead he paced along the hallway. Back and forth repeatedly in front of Draco's door.

"Ah fuck!" Draco shouted and Harry's eyes widened in alarm.

"Come sit, dear. Have some tea," Narcissa cajoled.

"I can't," Harry said, continuing his pacing.

"Oh sit down you insufferable twit!" Lucius demanded and dragged Harry into a chair.

Lucius placed a mug of hot tea into Harry's hands while Harry glared at the man. He grudgingly - and with no small amount of suspicion - took a sip of his tea. And promptly spat it out. He leveled another glare at Lucius and vanished the tea.

"Fucks sake, today Lucius?" Harry spat.

He had half expected it, of course. Lucius was still slipping some poison or other into Harry's food and drinks at every opportunity.

"You're the cause of the pain my son is currently in. It seemed appropriate," Lucius said with an elegant shrug.

Harry glared and accepted the fresh tea Narcissa had made. As if he wanted the extra stress of poisoned tea while his husband was giving birth! At that moment, the door to Draco's room opened. The healer emerged with a bright smile and Harry felt some of his tension leak away.

"Would you like to meet your daughter?" Healer Brown asked.

"Daughter? Yes, I want to see them both!" Harry exclaimed.

He followed the healer into the room and was vaguely aware of Lucius and Narcissa following him. He stopped in the doorway, unable to take his eyes off the sight of his husband sitting up in the bed, cradling their tiny daughter to his chest.

Draco looked exhausted; probably from the pain and how little sleep he'd gotten over the last couple of weeks. But their daughter looked perfect.

Harry moved closer to get a better look. She had a full head of hair in signature Potter black. It wasn't quite the disarray of Harry's own, for which he was grateful. Her nose was sloped exactly like Draco's, but her eyes were shaped like Harry's.

Overall, she looked like the perfect combination between Harry and Draco. Perfect.

Draco looked up at Harry with a smile. He held the baby out as Harry reached forward. Harry's face ached from how wide his smile was but he didn't care. He ignored the telltale flashes and just focused on his daughter.

"Perfect," Harry whispered, voice barely audible.

"She is," Draco agreed.

"Our little Lillianna," Harry said and glanced up at Draco. They had discussed names and knew what they would choose when the time came.

"Yes. Lillianna Narcissus," Draco said.

They both smiled and looked up when they heard Narcissa gasp. She had her camera in her hand as Harry knew she would. She also had her free hand covering her mouth and her eyes shone with wonder.

Harry beckoned Lucius and Narcissa closer and Narcissa cooed at the sleeping child.

"Lillianna Narcissus Potter-Malfoy," Narcissa breathed.

"Welcome to the family, little one," Lucius said.

_**Chapter 9: Play Time**_

Harry loved days like today. He and his husband had brought their eighteen-month-old daughter to visit her grandparents. Harry was currently sprawled out on the floor levitating things and Lillianna was giggling like mad trying to reach for them.

Narcissa was sitting beside Draco on the sofa and Lucius was sipping a brandy, sitting in the chair adjacent to the sofa talking to Severus.

Draco was relaxing back into the sofa. Harry could tell he was enjoying the sight of his husband being a goof and the sound of his daughter's laughter. It was one of their favorite sounds in the world and neither of them ever tired of hearing it.

Even the always-stoic Severus was hiding a smile behind his tea. Draco thought that was precious.

Harry noticed something that made his eyebrows shoot up and his eyes widened in incredulity.

"What?" Draco asked.

"She's doing that! I had put that one down, but she must've wanted it!" Harry said and pointed at the small hippogriff toy floating towards the baby.

Draco's face split into a grin and he clapped his hands together. The toy dropped just short of her hands and she reached out making grabbing motions. Everyone watched as she scooted forward until she could reach the toy and proceeded to immediately stuff it into her mouth.

Draco chuckled and went back to a discussion with his mother. Harry wasn't paying attention to anything but his daughter. He could see her eyes drooping. His own were feeling heavy and each blink he took got longer and longer.

"Perhaps some lunch will rouse you, dear," Narcissa said and tapped Harry on the shoulder.

"Hmm, yeah. Lunch sounds good, mum," Harry replied.

Draco picked Lillianna up and the group moved to the small dining nook for lunch. Never one to sleep through a meal, Lillianna was awake by the time the meal was served. Draco sat her in her high chair and he and Harry took turns feeding her.

As the meal wound to a close, no one moved from the table. Harry, Draco and Narcissa sat near each other and talked while sipping tea. Lucius watched for a moment then turned to his granddaughter.

"That was a most impressive display of magic, ma petit. Perhaps I should teach you some spells, hmm?" Lucius cooed. (He would deny it to his dying breath, but everyone else knew he had a soft spot for his granddaughter).

"Father, she can't even speak yet," Draco said.

Lucius, and everyone else, ignored him. Harry was vaguely interested to see where this was going, but he had his suspicions. Which were immediately proved right as he listened to his father-in-law.

Lucius had taken his wand out and was helping Lillianna hold it. They were pointing it at Harry and Lucius was instructing her on the spell.

"Now say 'Avada Kedavra.' Nice and clear," Lucius said.

Harry rolled his eyes but ignored the man. It was more than obvious Lucius didn't mean it anymore. Harry had long since accepted that this was just something Lucius did.

"Father. Stop trying to turn my daughter into a murderer," Draco said.

Again, everyone ignored him and life continued. Harry took a moment to smile at his husband and took his hand. He brought it to his lips and held it there for a moment. He was so happy with his life. For such an awful beginning, life was pretty perfect now.

"Ava, ava-ke," a little voice said.

Harry's eyes widened and he jerked around. They would later debate whose face was more comical, but harry maintained it was Lucius'.

His jaw was dropped, his eyebrows had all but disappeared into his hairline and he was absolutely frozen. Harry could feel his own jaw gaping open and his eyes almost hurt from how wide they were.

"Perhaps it is best if we don't teach the infant the killing curse, yes?" Narcissa said.

Lillianna was completely oblivious and giggled at the faces her daddy and grandpa were making.

Yeah. Life was great. And his new family would always keep him on his toes. Harry wouldn't have it any other way.


End file.
